Renault Clio hatchback long-term test review

Senior road tester Phill Tromans has spent six months with this Renault Clio 1.2-litre TCe 120 Dynamique S Nav. Here are the best and worst things about living with Renault's compact hatchback.

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[Chukwu]

You went to a Renault dealer to ask about satisfaction with a Renault? Seriously?

[miltontavares]

My friend once you closed the with the key you have to open it with the key! When you turn the engine on the system resets and it works again ;)

[Tashie]

Seems a bit like they’re finding problems for the sake of finding problems. I’ve just bought my first Clio and one of the things the salesperson told me was about how the keyless entry doesn’t work if you use the keycard to lock/unlock the car but it resets once you start up the car, surely if you’re reviewing a car you should know that sort of detail 🙄

[ainehourigan]

Bought my Clio 2 months ago and I am obsessed. Prettiest car on the market. Drive is so comfortable and they are unbelievably economical.

[s.leochapman]

My father bought a Dynamique two years ago. I have NEVER seen him so enamoured with his own car before. He's owned models from quite a number of different brands over the years, from Ford, to Toyota to FIAT. He even used to be a VW Golf devotee, before downsizing a few years ago to a Suzuki Swift... well, since getting the Clio, he has been only too delighted. And I must admit, having taken it for a spin a few times, I find it to be a very enjoyable little car to zip around in. Probably the best-looking supermini at the moment too, with those nice lines and haunches. But it needs to have a good trim level so as not to feel too cheap.

[briangriffiths]

I've owned the 0.9 TCe Dynamique Nav S with GT Line look pack for the last two years and have been highly impressed with the car. The engine's overboost function and adaptive ECU mean that if you drive the car fairly briskly all the time, it performs almost like a warm hatch with rapid third gear overtaking in particular. Taking an overall 47 mpg into account I'd happily buy another one when the time comes to replace it.

[alanhaggarty]

Just passed my driving test. Really want this to be my first car.

[blankpotocnik]

Changing keycard battery helps with this stuff, when it starts doing that you know card battery is saying goodbye. Also your 0-60 time is for 90 hp 0, 9 tce. As for Media Nav, probably it's not the best now, but still way better then old fashioned radio.

[runawayronnie]

Just like Phill Tromans, I get frustrated when keyless entry doesn't unlock. the car. But as others have said, that's because the previous person used who pened my Clio the keyfob rather than the button on the door. Switch on/off the ignition resets the system.

I agree with nearly everything Phill says about the car - it's a fair review. I've owned my 0.9tce for 16 months from del miles (pre-reg) and it's been 100% reliable and returned an astonishing 53mpg average. (I don't use the car for short journeys and drive with my 'eco' head on). Just returned from a 500mile round trip most of which was motorway - the engine defies it's tiny size.

The only differences I'd pick from Phill's final report:

1: Agree about the infotainment, the Sat Nav isn't the greatest or most intuative but at least it has one of the easiest DAB radios to use.
2: The keyless is one of the best systems bar none. Video refers to pushing the door button on exit? No, you don't you just walk away and the system locks itself. (Unlike VAG's keyless where you do have to physically toch the car to close it). And unlike VAG's systems, Renault's is intelligent enough to know when the keys are inside the car - i.e. you can't accidentally lock the remote inside the car.
3: Cruise control button on centre console? Thats the master 'ON' switch. I set that switch to 'ON' the moment I collected the car from the dealership - I've never had to touch it again in 16months so why it it's location a problem? I simply use the 'SET' or 'Cancel' button on the steering wheel to use cruise control. Again it's one of the easier systems to use.

I'm currently looking to change the Clio for something bigger (we need an estate). I'm really going to miss it, something I thought I'd never say about a French car.

[A_P__]

Unfair critic. If you use the keycard to lock the car, the auto feature is deactivated. After you start up the engine it resets and gets enabled again. That lets you choose between auto and manual locking.

[Rachellwbu]

Never had an issue with my 1.5 dCi Dynamique S Nav Auto. Sound system has never let me down, always charges my phone quickly, never disconnects. I never have an issue with my keycard either.

[kingphiltheill]

Absolutely agree with Anthony Hedge on this review. You simply did not read the manual and got the wrong infotainment system. I owned the pre facelift version with the Tce 120, an automatic and R-Link. I loved it and in 33.000 miles it never failed me once. (because I read that manual)
Sold it in need for a bigger car, Baby Nr. 2 was arriving.

[ColinHarvey]

I have one as a hire car. I agree with this review. It’s a pretty car (mine is in metallic red/orange and it looks nice) and I quite like the punchy and rorty engine (although my usual car is a BMW 330). Compared against that, the nav system feels a bit cheap - but I have to say I’ve warmed to the Clio. It’s a nice little car, great as family runaround and perfectly capable of a longer run or some fun around the bends. Good little car!

[Justdre]

Just bought a clio I love it no complaints from me

[serbanos]

Acceleration for 1.2 tce 120 - 0-100km/h in 9 sec

[MegaLUX]

I'd say a lot of nitpicking here. Cruise control on display is not a bad thing and it's easy to cycle through everything, also what Tashie801 said, you can use keyless always if you don't use key fob. I've been driving almost the exact same Clio as this one for 6 months and never had any problems with keyless.

[LiveFreeAndLoveNSN]

I learnt to drive in this car and absolutely loved it. Sadly it wasn’t the car i got when i passed my test :( but one day

[qb]

Renault always have put the cruise control switch in odd places. I've always driven Fords, BMWs and VWs, all of those have had cruise control activation on the steering wheel.
My mum isn't loyalist to manufacturers at all so when she had a Renault Laguna a few years back and I'd drive it (which drove absolutely fantastically, strong brakes, perfect steering and grip) I was always searching for the button which was between the steering wheel and door on the dashboard.

She also had their previous generation keyless entry where you walked away and it locked and you just put your hand inside the handle to unlock it. Worked flawlessly.
The only times it didn't work would be when she'd closed the windows/sunroof with the key once she'd gotten out the car which meant she had to use the key to open the car again.

[MajorKlanga]

Are you sure it takes a glacial 12.2 seconds to 62 mph ?

[mikehowlettfrogs]

You don't understand the keyless entry system. If you flick the button to lock it then when you come to it next time it won't allow keyless entry, this can happen sometimes when you put it in your pocket and the button gets pressed by mistake. If you walk away and it locks automatically then when you come back it will alloy keyless entry so unless yours has a fault then like I said your not using it properly Both me and my son have 66 plate clios and never once had a problem. My only real gripe is the stop start system but at least you can switch it off